LeBron James joining forces with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors appears to be a scenario that only exists in NBA 2K. James, the Warriors’ most bitter opponent for years, would never join the team, right?
Perhaps this isn’t as insane as it seems, especially given Warriors owner Joe Lacob called Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss before the trade deadline to inquire about LeBron’s availability.
It’s no secret that James has been dissatisfied with how things have gone in Los Angeles. Since winning their last title in 2020, the Lakers have struggled to retain success and meet the championship expectations placed on them.
While the Lakers did make the Western Conference Finals last season, it was evident that they were outmatched, being swept 4-0 by the Denver Nuggets, who went on to win their first title in franchise history.
Between posting the hourglass emoji on social media and giving imprecise responses during media availability in the locker room leading up to the trade deadline, James’ cryptic statements appeared to create the impression that he would be available in trade discussions. While all appeals to Buss and the Lakers for LeBron were promptly rejected, the idea of James teaming up with Steph and the Warriors has gathered traction.
Following a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Curry was asked about claims on Wednesday that the Warriors attempted to trade for LeBron James at the trade deadline. While smirking throughout his response, Steph stated that, while he was not surprised to hear the report, he was startled to see this type of information spread.
“No, I am never shocked. It’s always surprising when stuff like that leaks because I assume every team is making decisions that if every fan, fan base, or media group knew about it, it might normalize the conversation that happens in the front office,” Curry said, via Warriors on NBCS, “especially around the trade deadline when you’re looking around the league to see who’s available and who isn’t.
“Obviously, a man like Bron would phone merely to check in. I’m not sure how in-depth those chats were, but it was a pleasant surprise this morning.
Even though there appears to have been no actual traction about LeBron’s potential departure to the Warriors, these latest speculations have prompted a lot of discussion about James’ near future with the Lakers. The league’s all-time top scorer has a $51.4 million player option for next season, and he has long shown interest in teaming up with his son, Bronny.
Will LeBron and Steph ever play for the same team? The good news for NBA fans and those hoping to see this is that the two icons will most likely compete for Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics. It’s unclear whether they’ll wear the same NBA jerseys later in their careers.